AGNATHA in the ICHTHYOLOGIC COLLECTION of the NATIONAL MUSEUM in PRAGUE Bezčelistnatci (Agnatha) Ve Sbírkách Národního Muzea V Praze
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ZO ČSOP VLAŠIM, 2009 AGNATHA IN THE ICHTHYOLOGIC COLLECTION OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN PRAGUE Bezčelistnatci (Agnatha) ve sbírkách Národního muzea v Praze RADEK ŠANDA1 & Ja s n a VUKIĆ2 1) National Museum, Department of Zoology, Prague, Czech Republic 2) Pelušková street, Prague, Czech Republic Abstract: The agnatha collection of the National Museum in Prague includes 425 speci- mens. All available data are presented for each specimen. In the collection there are 60 hagfish specimens (Myxini), of which one is taxidermied, six are skeletons preserved in liquid, and 53 are whole specimens preserved in liquid. Exact number of taxa is still not known. Collection of lampreys includes 365 specimens belonging to three genera and eight species – Petromyzon marinus, Lampetra planeri, L. fluviatilis, L. zanandreai, Eu- dontomyzon danfordi, E. hellenicus, E. vladykovi and E. stankokaramani. Majority of spe- cimens, 322, are preserved in liquid, nine are taxidermied, 32 are skeletons in liquid, and two are anatomical preparations in liquid. The collection includes two specimens, which are historical records of presence of P. marinus in the Czech Republic. The previously published information about voucher specimens of P. marinus and L. fluviatilis from the National Museum in Prague was revised. Key words: lampreys, hagfishes, National Museum in Prague, ichthyologic collection Introduction Many museums, both national and local ones, often keep several agnatha specimens in their collections. Some of these materials are historical exponates, acquired by the mu- seums in the past, mainly during the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, often docu- menting records of now extinct or rare populations. On the other hand, recently collected material provides data about many previously purely studied species. However, most spe- cimens preserved in these collections have not been studied yet. The National Museum in Prague gathers a rich and interesting collection of agnatha specimens, belonging to both recent classes – lampreys (Cephalaspidomorphi) and hagfis- hes (Myxini). The data about this material were published only marginally (OLIVA 1995, HA N EL 1996 a,b, NEUMA no VÁ 1997). Unfortunately, in the above mentioned works there are some mistakes in the identification and data about collection of some specimens. Mo- reover, only a part of material (listed in a definitive museum evidence) was included in the works of HA N EL (1996 a,b) and NEUMA no VÁ (1997). The aim of the present work is to provide a complete and updated list of all agnathans in the collection of the National Museum in Prague together with the basic data about them. 56 BULLETIN LAMPETRA VI: 56 – 65 Material and methods All specimens of hagfish and lampreys included in the collection of the National Mu- seum in Prague were revised. For lampreys, we used the systematics according to KO TTE - LAT & FR EY hof (2007). Unfortunately, it was usually not possible to determine hagfishes exactly due to a lack of the literature on determination. The available data are presented in the following order: catalogue number; number of specimen; type of preservation; date of the capture; locality; country; collector (leg.); note. Sex and length were not determined. All skeletons and anatomical preparations preserved in liquid are mounted on a glass desk, each skeleton in a separate jar. An important part of the agnathan material in the Museum was donated by Jaromír Frič in 1958, the heir of Václav Frič, who owned a firm specialised on trade with variety of natural products (Št ě p á n e K 1975). Although Václav Frič is not the actual collector of this material, he is indicated as a collector. Abbreviations used: n – number of specimens; A – adult (including metamorphosing specimens with developed eyes); J – ammocoete (larval stage of lampreys); L – material preserved in liquid (ethanol, formaldehyde); T – taxidermied material; SL – skeleton preserved in liquid; AL – anatomical preparation in liquid; NM – National Museum in Prague. The evidence numbers used belong to several categories: P6V – definitive evidence; P6p – preliminary evidence (for material included in the evidence after 1959); P6j and P6d – additional evidence. For material older than 1959, numbers from original catalogues (accession books) I-V are used, if available. Results and disscusion The agnathan collection of the National Museum in Prague includes 425 specimens. 60 of them belong to hagfishes. Of these, one is taxidermied, six are skeletons in liquid and 53 are whole specimens preserved in liquid. The exact number of taxa is still unknown, due to a difficult determination. Lampreys, counting altogether 365 specimens, are much more numerous. They belong to three genera and eight species. Majority of specimens, 322, are preserved in liquid, nine are taxidermied, 32 are skeletons in liquid and two anatomical preparations in liquid. The number of lampreys in the collection exceeds the number pu- blished by HA N EL (1996a) several times, because he included in his work only material from the definitive evidence of the museum and focussed solely on the taxa present in the Czech Republic. The collection of skeletons in liquid is particularly interesting. It is an important documentation of craftsmanship of old taxidermists, as the preparation of skele- ton of agnatha is very difficult. The comments on each taxon follow the list of specimens in the taxon. 57 ZO ČSOP VLAŠIM, 2009 Class: Cephalaspidomorphi Order: Petromyzontiformes Family: Petromyzontidae Eudontomyzon danfordi Regan, 1911 P6V 5079; n = 1A; T; Tisa drainage, Subcarpathian Ukraine; Ukraine; leg. Vladykov, V.; note: possible syntype of Lampetra bergi Vladykov, 1925 P6V 8949-8950; n = 2A; L; 1923; Tisa drainage, Novoselica, Subcarpathian Ukraine; Ukraine; leg. Vladykov, V.; note: syntypes of Lampetra bergi Vladykov, 1925 P6V 31097-31098; n = 2A; L; 5.8.1962; brook in Remetské Hamre; Slovakia; leg. Táborský, K. P6V 31108-31117; n = 10A; L; Stillbach near Vondrášek; Slovakia; leg. Pfeffer; note: locality most probably Ondrašovce near Prešov, Hornád drainage P6V 32045; n = 1J; L; 15.8.1976; River Cirocha under Starina; Slovakia; leg. Čihař, J., Tauber, V. P6V 34336; n = 1A; L; July 1985; River Ubľa, Dúbrava; Slovakia; leg. Šafr, J. P6V 80728; n = 1A; L; 23.8.1923; Tisa drainage, Plajuk, Subcarpathian Ukraine; Ukraine; leg. Vladykov, V.; note: syntype of Lampetra bergi Vladykov, 1925 P6V 80729-80738; n = 10 (1A, 9J); L; Tisa drainage, Subcarpathian Ukraine; Ukraine; leg. Vladykov, V.; note: possible syntypes of Lampetra bergi Vladykov, 1925 All 28 specimens of E. danfordi originate from the Tisa River drainage in Slovakia or Ukraine. Only one of them is taxidermied; the rest of the material is preserved in liquid. Ten specimens are ammocoetes, 18 are adults. Noteworthy are three syntypes of Lampetra bergi Vladykov, 1925. Eudontomyzon hellenicus Vladykov, Renaud, Kott & Economidis, 1982 uncatalogued; n = 2J; L; 23.8.2009; River Bistrica, upstream of village Çuka; Albania; leg. Šanda, R., Shumka, S. These specimens are the first record of this species outside Greece. The locality is only second known area with confirmed occurrence of this species in the Ionian Sea basin. Eudontomyzon stankokaramani Karaman, 1974 P6p 84/2007; n = 7J; L; 25.7.2006; Ohrid Lake; Macedonia; leg. Šanda, R., Šedivá, A., Kohout, J. This is interesting material: specimens were caught in the littoral of Ohrid Lake, at a polluted site in the mouth of the channel, which connects the Sateska River with the lake. The presence of E. stankokaramani in Lake Ohrid was mentioned by Ho l č í K & Šo r ić (2004). Eudontomyzon vladykovi Oliva & Zanandrea, 1959 P6p 84/2007; n = 5J; L; 17.7.2006; River Crni Timok, Valakonje; Serbia; leg. Šanda, R., Šedivá, A., Kohout, J. P6p 84/2007; n = 5J; L; 9.7.2006; River Petrinjčica, Miočinoviči; Croatia; leg. Šanda, R., Šedivá, A., Kohout, J. 58 BULLETIN LAMPETRA VI: 56 – 65 P6p 84/2007; n = 4A; L; April 2003; River Petrinjčica; Croatia; leg. Delić, A. uncatalogued; n = 1J; L; 26.8.2008; River Una, Bihać; Bosnia and Herzegovina; leg. Šanda, R., Delić, A. These are important voucher specimens of E. vladykovi from still inadequately known area of the Sava River drainage in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as from the Timok River drainage in Serbia. Lampetra fluviatilis(Linnaeus, 1758) P6V 5077; n = 1A; T; no data P6V 5076; n = 1; SL; no data P6V 6154-6158, 47658-47665; n = 13; SL; leg. Frič, V.; note: dates written on the original labels of most of those skeletons (August 8th,1911, November 30th,1912, December 6th,1912) most probably refer to the date of preparation of the skeletons. P6V 6225; n =1A; T; leg. Frič, V. Catalogue I, no. d4; n = 1A; L; 1866 or earlier; note: although locality is not mentioned in the catalogue, it is probable that this specimen originates from the Czech Republic, as it was stored in the jar with the label “Czech fishes”, together with other old material of fishes and lampreys from the country. uncatalogued; n = 2A; L; note: these specimens could originate from the Czech Republic, as they were stored in the jar with the label “Czech fishes”, together with another old material of fishes and lampreys from the country. uncatalogued; n = 1A; L; no data; note: this is most probably the specimen no. 160 in Oliva (1995) uncatalogued; n = 9A; L; leg. Frič, V. uncatalogued; n = 4A; L; no data uncatalogued; n = 2; AL; note: coloured preparation of the vascular system, an anterior third of the body In the ichtyhologic collection of NM there are two taxidermies, 14 skeletons in liquid, two anatomical preparations, and 17 whole specimens in liquid of L. fluviatilis. The loca- lity of origin of any specimen in this material is unknown. L. fluviatilis was reported in the past from the rivers Labe and Vltava in the Czech Republic (Fr I č 1859, 1872, 1908). The distribution area is unclear.